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Subcategory: National / State Standards
Governor Opposes Delay in WASL Math and Science Testing
Nov 20 2009 - The Olympian
Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday she opposes state schools chief Randy Dorn's proposal to delay the requirement for students to pass math and science tests to graduate, because the state's economy depends on Washington students leaving high school well trained in both subjects.
Funding for Common Assessments Poses Challenge
Nov 16 2009 - Education Week
The U.S. Department of Education faces challenges in spending $350 million in economic-stimulus money to aid consortia of states in developing common assessments in reading and mathematics.
States Lag in Educational Innovation, Report Says
Nov 12 2009 - Education Week
A report card issued Monday on state-level innovation in education found what a trio of ideologically varied groups sees as deeply disturbing results, with most states earning C's, D's, or even F's in such key areas as technology, high school quality, and removal of ineffective teachers.
More Oregon Students Are Getting Math
Nov 10 2009 - The Oregonian
Oregon math teachers have moved middle schoolers far enough ahead in math that the typical eighth-grader now can do math at nearly the same level as many high school sophomores. Middle school students in every racial, ethnic, and income group show greater mastery of mathematics.
Advanced Math, Science Mandatory
Nov 4 2009 - ArgusLeader.com
Despite criticism that they are setting the bar too high, the South Dakota Board of Education passed a new set of high school graduation rules Monday that make upper- level math and science classes mandatory.
Which States Have the Highest Standards for Students?
Nov 2 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor
Each state comes up with its own standards for student achievement. A new study from the National Center on Education Statistics compares them. Here are the top and bottom five.
Common-Standards Leaders, Experts Eye Adding Math, Science
Oct 27 2009 - Education Week (subscription required)
Leaders of an effort to establish common academic standards in math and language arts have held tentative discussions with advocates for science and social studies groups about expanding that work into those subjects.
Revised Draft of 'Common Core' Standards Unveiled
Sep 21 2009 - Education Week
Language arts has been beefed up in the latest version of the document, and another standard, "mathematical practice," has been added.
New Science Standards From the College Board
Sep 17 2009 - Education Week
Can't get enough of all this talk of national or common or multistate standards? The College Board has plenty of new reading material for you.
California Threatened with Loss of Funds if It Doesn't Use Test Scores in Evaluating Teachers
Jul 24 2009 - The Los Angeles Times
California could lose out on millions of federal education dollars unless legislators change a law that prevents it from using student test scores to measure teachers' performance, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is expected to announce in a speech today.
Texas Adds Electives, Scales Back Required Classes in High School
Jul 7 2009 - The Dallas Morning News
Students will be no longer have to take two semesters of computer technology, a semester of health education, and a semester of physical education—although two semesters of PE will still be required.
Expert Panels Named in Common-Standards Push
Jul 2 2009 - Education Week
The two national organizations coordinating a push for common academic standards have named the 29 people who are deciding what math and language arts skills students will need to know and when, along with the 35 people who will formally critique the group's work.
Subject-Matter Groups Want Voice in Standards
Jun 16 2009 - Education Week
Top officials from influential math and reading organizations voiced concerns last week about not having a more defined role in the "Common Core" project being led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Education Chief Offers Cash Incentives to Develop Standards
Jun 15 2009 - The Boston Globe
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is offering federal cash incentives to achieve one of his priorities: developing national standards for reading and math to replace a hodgepodge of benchmarks in the states.
4 States Yet to Agree to Standards for Academic Rigor
Jun 2 2009 - USA Today
Dismayed that students are slipping further behind their international peers, 46 states have agreed in principle to develop a set of rigorous criteria. But four states have yet to agree—Alaska, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas.
46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards
Jun 1 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia today will announce an effort to craft a single vision for what children should learn each year from kindergarten through high school graduation.
Aspiring Primary Teachers May Be Tested in Math
May 19 2009 - Education Week
Massachusetts is preparing to require all elementary educators to pass a math-specific test for state licensure, as opposed to simply mandating that they notch a general passing score across all subjects.
Legislators Take Aim at Math, Writing
Feb 3 2009 - Louisville Courier Journal
Revamping the state's math curriculum and removing the writing portfolio from Kentucky's accountability tests for schools are two of the top K-12 education issues state lawmakers are expected to grapple with this session.
State Amends School Science Curriculum Standards
Jan 26 2009 - Houston Chronicle
The Texas State Board of Education tentatively decided to amend school science curriculum standards, dropping a 20-year-old requirement that critics say is used to undermine the theory of evolution.
Texas Wrestles with Science Standards, Evolution
Jan 22 2009 - The Boston Globe
Experts and activists concerned about the way evolution is taught in Texas' public schools made their case before the state's board of education. Dozens of people, including a six-member expert review panel, lined up to testify as the board considers new science curriculum standards that will be in place for the next decade.
Streamlined Science-Education Standards Debated
Jan 13 2009 - The Seattle Times
Washington state's proposed new science-education standards do not make scintillating reading, but the people behind the new guidelines for teachers say their work should make classrooms more interesting for kids.
Common Academic Standards Get Influential Push
Dec 19 2008 - Education Week
The push for common state standards in reading and math got a high-profile boost today as organizations representing governors and state education chiefs formally put their weight behind the goal of aligning academic expectations in those subjects across states and benchmarking the standards against those of other countries.
Va. Math Standards' Bar Might Be Raised
Nov 25 2008 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Proposed revisions to Virginia's math standards are part of a national movement to strengthen and streamline math education to prepare all students to learn algebra and higher concepts.
Board of Education Challenged over Evolution
Nov 20 2008 - Houston Chronicle
Texas risks becoming a national joke if state educators insist on clouding the teaching of evolution, scores of scientists, science teachers, and concerned residents told the State Board of Education on Wednesday.
SC High Schools, Districts Fall Short
Oct 20 2008 - Charleston Post and Courier
None of South Carolina's 85 school districts made Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law for the second consecutive year, and more high schools also fell short of meeting the federal goals, according to state results released last week.
Charter Schools Far Outshine Public in No Child Left Behind Standards
Oct 8 2008 - The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah's charter schools performed far better than their traditional public school counterparts in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for the federal education program No Child Left Behind.
Rhode Island Students Score Poorly on State's First Science Test
Sep 26 2008 - Providence Journal
More than 75% of Rhode Island students are failing to grasp key scientific concepts that educators say they should be learning. Just 24% scored proficient or better on the first state test in science—a far lower proficiency rate than on similar tests in reading, writing, and math.
Arizona Students Struggle on 1st Science AIMS Test
Sep 19 2008 - The Arizona Republic
The first round of statewide science testing shows Arizona students' science knowledge lags far behind their achievement in math, reading, and writing. Statewide results show that more than 60% of high school students failed. Numbers were slightly better in the earlier grades, where about half of fourth- and eighth-grade students passed the exam.
School Groups Challenge Calif. Algebra Mandate
Sep 8 2008 - eSchool News
Groups representing school administrators and local education boards are challenging California's requirement that all eighth-graders be tested in algebra, the Associated Press reports.
Palin Has Not Pushed Creation Science as Governor
Sep 4 2008 - Education Week
As a candidate for governor, Sarah Palin called for teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools. But after Alaska voters elected her, Palin, now Republican John McCain's presidential running mate, kept her campaign pledge to not push the idea in the schools.
Some States Said to Share "Core" Standards
Aug 4 2008 - Education Week
States that have worked individually to set rigorous academic standards for high school students have inadvertently subscribed to a “common core” of expectations in English/language arts and mathematics, an analysis has found. The apparent agreement among a “critical mass” of states on the kinds of complex knowledge and skills students need to master in those subjects suggests, according to the report, that a state-led effort toward creating common standards is feasible.
Bible Course Standards Approved for Texas Schools
Jul 24 2008 - Austin American-Statesman
The State Board of Education adopted Bible course curriculum standards Friday that critics say provide little guidance on how to teach the course without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution.
Washington State Begins to Revise Science Education Standards
Apr 1 2008 - The Seattle Times
Changing the way Washington teaches math has led to one of the most contentious education debates in recent memory. Now state education officials on working on what may be an even bigger black hole in Washington education achievement: science education.
More Math, Science Endorsed
Oct 11 2007 - The Arizona Republic
High school students in Arizona might have to take more math and science classes, thanks to a proposal endorsed by local educators and business leaders. Students must currently earn two math and two science credits to graduate. Under the new plan, the requirements would be increased to three math credits beginning with freshmen in 2008. For freshmen in 2009, the mandate would require students to earn four math and three science credits to graduate.
States Could Create Common Math Tests
Apr 25 2007 - York Dispatch (York, Pennsylvania)
Nine states have come together for the first time to develop a common high school math test, a move described by some as a step toward national educational standards. State standards, and tests based on them, vary wildly for subjects as basic as math, English, and science.
More Math, Science Up Schools' $$$
Mar 7 2007 - Denver Post (Colorado)
As the legislature considers requiring more math and science before Colorado students can graduate from high school, local school districts fear the new rules could be expensive and leave many students behind. Colorado’s plan is not uncommon. Educators and politicians nationwide are considering increasing math and science standards for students, according to a spokesperson for Achieve Inc., an organization created by the nation’s governors in 1996 to raise academic standards in high schools.
Group: Virginia's Math, Science Standards Low
Jan 10 2007 - Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia)
An education policy group says the standards, and accompanying tests, that dog many Virginia students and teachers might be too easy in certain subjects. The group compared student performance on state tests to scores on a national test. State standards were considered low in instances where many students passed a state test but struggled on the national exam. Virginia's eighth grade science tests showed the biggest gap between state and National Assessment of Educational Progress performance.
The Call for One Way to Rate Schools Grows Louder
Sep 21 2006 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
Several top education experts and politicians from both parties are calling for one set of national standards and corresponding national tests to evaluate the country's 96,000 public schools. Similar calls have come before, but they are now becoming louder as Congress prepares to review and reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act as early as 2007.
N.J. to Toughen Up Standards for its High School Students
Aug 18 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
New Jersey officials have announced plans to rework high school requirements so that students can have more math, science, and technology education even if they go right to work instead of college. Officials plan to strengthen curriculum standards, assessment tests, and graduation requirements as a way to address concerns that New Jersey is not keeping pace with the nation or the world.
School Year to Infringe on Summer
Jul 9 2006 - Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California)
The debate continues over whether nontraditional school calendars make academic sense. Three thousand schools across the country operated on a year-round schedule in 2005 compared to 1,646 schools in 1991. A 2003 Duke University found that schools on a modified calendar modestly outperformed schools on traditional schedules. The effect was larger for economically disadvantaged or poorly achieving students. Other studies from Los Angeles and Dallas show no academic benefit at all.
Study Flunks State Science Standards
Dec 7 2005 - Stateline.org
A new study shows 15 states have failed an examination of statewide science standards for elementary and high schools. Seven states were given a grade of “D” while eight states earned a “C,” according to the study. The State of State Science Standards 2005 appraised the quality of statewide K–12 science standards required to be in place this school year by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Experts Warn Schools Must Look Past Tests
Dec 5 2005 - The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)
Teaching students to pass standardized tests may be a good start, but schools and colleges need to do more to keep the nation’s workforce competitive in today’s economy. The pressure to do more, and do it faster, is placing a greater emphasis on teamwork and development of organizational skills—skills that often get lost in the schoolhouse shuffle. Michael Frederickson, director of the U.S. Navy’s Center of Excellence in Electronics, noted the skills are needed more than ever because pressure to field new technology faster is increasing.
Kansas Education Board First to Back "Intelligent Design"
Nov 9 2005 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
The Kansas Board of Education voted Tuesday that students will be expected to study doubts about modern Darwinian theory, a move that defied the nation's scientific establishment even as it gave voice to religious conservatives and others who question the theory of evolution. The bitterly fought effort pushes Kansas to the forefront of a war over evolution being waged in courts in Pennsylvania and Georgia and statehouses nationwide. Click here for a statement from the National Science Teachers Association on the Kansas decision. Meanwhile, in Dover, Pennsylvania, eight school board members who supported the introduction of "intelligent design" in science classrooms were voted out of office on Tuesday. Click here for details on the Dover election from the New York Times; click here for extensive coverage of the evolution debate in the US.
Bush Education Law Shows Mixed Results in First Test
Oct 20 2005 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The first nationwide test to permit an appraisal of President Bush's signature education law (No Child Left Behind) rendered mixed results on Wednesday, with even some supporters of the law expressing disappointment. Math scores were up slightly but eighth-grade reading showed a decline, and there was only modest progress toward closing the achievement gap between white and minority students, which is one of the Bush administration's primary goals. In many categories, the results indicated, the gap remains as wide as it was in the early 1990s. By some measures, students were making greater gains before the law was put into effect.
AG Ruling Likely to Raise Science Class Size
Sep 1 2005 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Requires free registration)
Although Georgia officials agreed this summer to make science classes smaller than other high school classes, a legal opinion has challenged that decision. The Georgia Board of Education is expected to consider raising science classes to a maximum of 30 students, as long as school systems maintain an overall average of 28 students. Georgia school superintendents have praised the legal opinion by the state attorney general’s office. A state board member noted his colleagues “generally support the ideal of no more than 24 students in a science class,” the number recommended by NSTA. But Brad Bryant said the state board could not block the flexibility given to school systems by legislators.
Science Teaching Goes Under Microscope
May 16 2005 - Denver Post
With federal and Colorado officials intensely focused on math and literacy over the past few years, science teachers have felt a little left behind. However, all of that is changing. New national and state testing standards, as well as more rigorous requirements for high school students bound for Colorado colleges, is drawing science into the spotlight. Science teachers say they welcome the attention to their subject, but worry their lessons will have to be tailored to new standardized tests.
NCLB Conflicts Seen with State Rules for Disabled
May 13 2005 - The Washington Times
Teachers and school officials nationwide say more flexible rules for disabled students under the No Child Left Behind Act conflict with state requirements for handicapped students. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has tripled the number of students with learning disabilities who can be exempted from federal achievement standards and assessments in reading and math. Educators, however, say the new allowance is still too restrictive.
Packed House Hears Evolution Arguments
Feb 2 2005 - Kansas City Star (Requires free registration)
Kansas residents are expressing mixed views on a recommendation that is part of a committee’s proposal to update the state’s science standards. Eight members of the panel want students to study evolution more carefully. The group also wants to change the definition of science because the current meaning limits inquiry and only allows natural explanations. They propose changing the definition to encourage students to “follow evidence wherever it leads.” The proposal’s proponents argue students deserve to learn the “whole truth” about the origin of the universe. Opponents claim that “intelligent design has no place in the science classroom.”
Evolution Debate Enters 'Round Two'
Jan 30 2005 - Kansas City Star (Requires free registration)
Eight members of a committee rewriting Kansas’ science standards and who support intelligent design want students to be “more adequately informed on evolution.” The eight have submitted a proposal to the Kansas Board of Education that contains a recommendation to change the definition of science. The group claims the current definition “limits inquiry because it allows only natural explanations.” They say the definition should be more objective and allow students “to follow the evidence wherever it leads.” Evolution supporters say such a change would “shake science at its foundation.” The public will join in the debate when a hearing is held Feb. 1 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Hearings on Science Standards Scheduled
Jan 11 2005 - The Wichita Eagle (Kansas)
Kansas school officials have rescheduled a set of public hearings for February on a new set of science standards. The hearings are expected to draw plenty of attention since the standards include the requirement that students understand the theory of evolution. Several conservative members of the Kansas Board of Education say they would like alternative theories, such as intelligent design, to be taught alongside evolution.
Hearings on Science Standards Delayed
Dec 29 2004 - The Kansas City Star (Requires free registration)
Public hearings that were scheduled for this month on a new set of science standards for Kansas schools have been postponed. The hearings are rescheduled for February, but exact dates have not been determined, according to a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Education. The two leaders of the committee rewriting the science standards asked for the delay so that concerns over the teaching of evolution raised by board members and others could be reviewed.
State Lifts Limit on Size of Science Classes to 30
Aug 13 2004 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Requires free registration)
High school science classes in Georgia will be increasing in size. The state’s Board of Education has given public school systems the authority to place as many as 30 students in science classes. Schools were previously allowed to have no more than 28 students in science classes. The decision by board members was prompted by pressure from school superintendents for more flexibility in a tight budget year. Georgia’s school chief and teacher organizations say they oppose the board’s decision.
Western Schools Get Reprieve on Standards
Jul 16 2004 - Boston Globe
When the federal government revised requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act in March to enable rural school teachers more time to meet the law’s “highly qualified” component, they used criteria that benefited Western states but excluded Southern ones. The Education Department originally believed the relief was most urgent for small, self-contained and isolated districts. However, the department is reconsidering its ruling to help slightly larger school districts.
Georgia Science Teachers to Keep Evolution
Feb 13 2004 - Yahoo News/AP
A group of Georgia science teachers, convened by the state schools superintendent to help resolve an imbroglio regarding the treatment of evolution in state's science curriculum, has decided in favor of retaining the term and its related concepts. "We're empowering the teachers of Georgia to teach science as it should be taught," said Stephen Pruitt, the state's science curriculum specialist. "No teacher will have to stand in front of the Board of Education or anybody else and have to defend why they are teaching evolution."
Science Theory Backed; Evolution Part of Standards
Feb 12 2004 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Without using the word "evolution," the state Board of Education made it clear it thinks the scientific theory should be taught to Georgia's students in its entirety. During an hourlong discussion, the state board put together a public statement that calls for all areas of the state's new curriculum to be "world-class, beginning with the full inclusion of the recognized national standards in each curriculum area...." That includes national science standards, which call for teaching evolution and using the word in the classroom.
Georgia Chief Backs Down On "Evolution" Stance
Feb 11 2004 - Education Week (requires free registration)
Georgia's schools chief ended her attempt to remove the word "evolution" from the state's proposed academic standards after receiving complaints from parents, educators, and politicians. Putting the word "evolution" back into the standards is "a step in the right direction," said Cynthia S. Workosky, a spokeswoman for the National Science Teachers Association. But, she added, the superintendent's office has also attempted to weaken the state's science standards by omitting concepts related to natural selection, the age of the Earth, and genetic science. "We feel they need to be put back in," Ms. Workosky said.
"No Child" Called Impractical
Feb 10 2004 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
A study by Harvard University's Civil Rights Project concludes that, while the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has the noble goal of having all children succeed in school, it seeks to get there in impractical ways. The study's four reports examine how the law has played out at the federal, state and local levels. "The reality for too many public educators is confusion and frustration as No Child Left Behind is leaving too many children - and teachers - behind," said Gary Orfield, the project's co-director, in a statement accompanying the study. [Click here for links to the full text of the reports.]
Va. Seeks To Leave Bush Law Behind
Jan 26 2004 - Washington Post
The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates has called the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate that threatens to undermine the state's own efforts to improve students' performance. By a vote of 98 to 1, the House passed a resolution on January 23 calling on Congress to exempt states like Virginia from the program's requirements. The law "represents the most sweeping intrusions into state and local control of education in the history of the United States," the resolution says, and will cost "literally millions of dollars that Virginia does not have."
NSTA WebNews Analysis: No Child Left Behind Act
Dec 31 2003 - NSTA - Kristin Collins
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has generated plenty of discussion and several myths in recent months. Signed into law by President Bush in 2002, the federal education reform bill aims to improve student achievement in public schools through assessment and accountability provisions, teacher quality requirements, and other mandates. Many lawmakers, educators, and political candidates have voiced opposition to the law, claiming it's so flawed that Congress needs to change it. Others have urged lawmakers to resist pressure to scale back the laws accountability provisions.
States Voice Doubts about Federal Education Law
Dec 11 2003 - CNN.com
With penalties looming for poorly performing schools, state legislators on Wednesday discussed how to cope with the financial burdens and testing requirements created by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). A Republican state senator from Kansas questioned the law's goals of ensuring that all students meet new standards by 2014, particularly when it comes to students with developmental disabilities or poor English skills. Lest some think NCLB merely intended to raise goals, not mandate 100% success, an Education Department spokesperson noted: "We're very serious when we say all kids."
Gains in Houston Schools: How Real Are They?
Dec 3 2003 - New York Times (requires registration)
The so-called "Houston Miracle" may have been less miraculous than originally thought. In fact, performance there may have been about the same as in other areas of the country. Texas has trumpeted the academic gains of millions of students largely on the basis of a state test, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. The education law signed by President Bush in January 2002, No Child Left Behind, gives public schools 12 years to match Houston's success and bring virtually all children to academic proficiency. But an examination of the performance of students in Houston by the New York Times raises doubts about the magnitude of those gains.
US Flunks Top Metro [Detroit] Schools
Nov 30 2003 - Detroit News
More grumbling about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has become audible in the Detroit area, where a school praised by President Bush in May has found itself listed in the "failing" category, according to NCLB calculations. That school is not alone, and many school districts are diving back into their data, hoping to prune the thicket of numbers into a more positive result. "We will see some of the best schools in Michigan on the list," said David Plank, co-director of Michigan State University's Education Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of education issues. "It's a guarantee." [See also this story]
Utah is Behind on New Ed Rules
Nov 21 2003 - Salt Lake Tribune
Like many states around the country, Utah is suffering from the "Nickleby Blues" (Nickleby = NCLB = No Child Left Behind). Utah education officials acknowledged they will not be able to meet all the requirements of the sweeping federal law that holds schools accountable for improving student achievement. The deficiency could land the state in hot water with the US Department of Education.
On Trail, It's Dean vs. No Child Left Behind Act
Nov 12 2003 - Education Week
Democratic presidential aspirant Howard Dean isn't shy about voicing his opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act. "Anybody here from a school board?" Dean asked a group gathered at a technical college in October. "School boards call it 'No School Board Left Standing.' ... Teachers call it 'No Behind Left.'" If elected, Dean promises to "dismantle" the bulk of the No Child Left Behind Act, one of President Bush's most prized domestic-policy accomplishments.
No Child Left Behind Act: Facts and Fiction
Nov 11 2003 - Washington Post
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has generated plenty of discussion and, this writer asserts, quite a few myths. Is the federal government spending more on education and giving local schools resources they never had? Is the law's goal of 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math by 2014 even possible? Answers are provided to these and eight other questions - or, given the controversial (and complex) nature of NCLB, is it just more ammo for one side or the other?
NSTA WebNews Analysis: Teaching Evolution
Sep 26 2003 - NSTA - Kristin Collins
The subject of how to teach evolution and whether alternative views should be presented to the theory have been controversial topics debated for many years. The month of September proved to be no different. Teachers, scientists, and religious leaders in Texas, for example, voiced mixed reactions Sept. 10 over how students should learn evolution through biology textbooks. Michigan lawmakers and religious leaders are also debating creationism and the theory of evolution. School board members in California's Roseville Joint Union High School District agreed Sept. 2 to let each school decide how to teach evolution instead of forming a districtwide policy.
States Cut Test Standards to Avoid Sanctions
May 22 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
States are lowering their test standards in an effort to avoid costly sanctions imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act. According to Robert Linn, the immediate past president of the American Educational Research Association, “the severe sanctions may hinder educational excellence.” Federal education officials, however, disagree noting “the law includes safeguards to hold states accountable.”
Delaware a Leader in Teaching Evolution
Feb 26 2003 - The News Journal (Dover, DE)
State and national education experts have labeled Delaware as one of America’s leaders in teaching evolution in public schools. Lawrence Lerner, a California State University professor emeritus who issued a report card of how states teach evolution to students in 2000, said he would give Delaware a “perfect score” for its efforts. Meanwhile, Delaware has implemented a new five-week curriculum to teach tenth-graders about evolution.
Teachers Will Explain Evolution Only
Feb 21 2003 - The Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)
West Virginia science teachers are celebrating after their state school board recently voted to endorse the teaching of evolution in schools. Creation scientists and “intelligent design” supporters had recommended the board revise their science standards, saying teachers and students should examine evolution more critically. John Calvert, managing director of the Intelligent Design network in Kansas, said “board members might have voted differently if they had more time to study intelligent design.”
Science Standards Set, But the Teaching is Still Evolving
Dec 29 2002 - The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer
Despite a recent decision by the Ohio Board of Education to adopt a new set of science standards regarding the teaching of evolution, the question remains how to best teach students those standards. A committee appointed by the Ohio Department of Education will try to answer that question as it begins writing a new science curriculum for teachers in 2003. In the meantime, teachers and students have already started to examine how the new standards will impact them through debates and workshops.
Heir Spends Family Fortune to Discredit Evolution Theory
Dec 23 2002 - The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer
Some may have never heard of Howard Fieldstead Ahmanson. The philanthropist and evangelical Christian, however, played a major role in the past year by spending a portion of his family fortune to discredit Darwin’s evolution theory. For instance, Ahmanson donated $1.5 million to the Discovery Institute, a supporter of intelligent design. Ahmanson plans to continue supporting the institute through 2003 with a pledge of $2.8 million.
Policy Resolved on Origin of Life
Dec 11 2002 - The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer
The Ohio Board of Education has approved a proposal allowing schools to teach alternative theories to evolution. Board members said the rule is not an endorsement of intelligent design, adding that evolution will be the only concept covered on standardized tests.
Letter Released from U.S. Education Secretary Paige to State School Chiefs on Implementing No Child Left Behind Act
Oct 24 2002 - US Department of Education
In his letter Secretary of Education Rod Paige notes that "some states have lowered the bar of expectations to hide the low performance of their schools. And a few others are discussing how they can ratchet down their standards in order to remove schools from their lists of low performers. Sadly, a small number of persons have suggested reducing standards for defining 'proficiency' in order to artificially present the facts. This is not worthy of a great country. I hope these individuals will rethink their approach for the benefit of the students in your states." (See previous story noted in the NSTA News Digest.)
Evolution Would Be Theory No. 1
Oct 15 2002 - The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Ohio Board of Education's academic standards committee suggested Monday that educators teach students about evolution along with other ways on how life originated. Though Ohio teachers are already allowed to instruct students on alternatives to evolution, school board members said the committee's recommendation emphasizes what teachers can and cannot teach in their classrooms. The school board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether it will accept the science guidelines. However, board members will not formally adopt the new guidelines until December after a public hearing is held later this year.
Ohio OKs Creation in Science Class
Oct 15 2002 - Associated Press
The Ohio Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday to accept a science curriculum that will enable school districts to teach evolution along with competing ideas on how life originated. "In no way does this advocate for creation or intelligent design," commented Michael Cochran, a board member who advocated the concept be included in the standards. "I do look upon this as a compromise." The school board is scheduled to formally adopt the standards in December.
States Revise the Meaning of "Proficient"
Oct 9 2002 - Education Week
A number of states appear to be easing their standards for what it means to be "proficient" in reading and math because of pressures to comply with No Child Left Behind, the new federal law requiring states to ensure that all students are proficient on state tests in those subjects within 12 years. Some observers say the changes in these states show that it is likely other states will also take advantage of the latitude the law has given them to define for themselves what constitutes proficiency. Congress didn't define the term and didn't give the U.S. Department of Education any enforcement powers over states that might be perceived as watering down their standards to meet the new requirements.
New Ohio Draft Ignores Alternatives to Evolution
Sep 20 2002 - Education Week
The latest draft of science standards under consideration in Ohio makes no mention of "intelligent design" or any other alternative theories about how life evolved on Earth. An expert on how evolution is taught in schools called the Ohio standards "quite comprehensive. They're really solid standards." Others object that the draft standards do not address the purported need to "teach the controversy" (see previous story).
A Plea to Trust Schools – Not Just Tests
Sep 17 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
In this interview, a leading education reformer and author swims against the surging current of "high-stakes testing." According to Deborah Meier, whose firsthand experience includes a successful stint in an East Harlem school in New York City, testing only lowers standards by emphasizing breadth over depth, and makes schools accountable for the wrong things. Ultimately, Meier wants schools that parents can trust. But this trust, as she notes in her most recent book, "is not based on blind faith. It is a hard-won, democratic trust in each other, tempered by healthy, active skepticism and a demand that trust be continually earned." (See also this subsequent story in the Washington Post.)
Expert Review Likely to Heighten Ohio Science Standards Debate
Jun 27 2002 - Columbus Dispatch (requires free registration)
The ongoing effort to adopt Ohio's first science-education standards will move to a new stage next month, when the current draft is turned over to a team of yet-to-be-named experts for review. So far, the draft has drawn criticism from both evolution opponents (who want to include so-called "intelligent design" in the standards) and scientists (who are concerned that language on evolution has already been too watered down). The State Board of Education is expected to approve a final version of the standards by December.
And Congress Said, Let There Be Other Views. Or Did It?
Jun 12 2002 - Education Week
As reported earlier (see previous story), a conference report accompanying the "No Child Left Behind" Act includes language stating that a science curriculum should "help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist" on controversial topics, such as evolution. What should school officials and science teachers make of this language? While some evolution opponents are using the language as a pretext to challenge the teaching of evolution in schools, science education advocates are urging schools to remember that the language has no force of law. Schools, they say, should continue to teach evolution, the theory that represents the scientific consensus on how life developed on Earth. Click above to learn more...
Poll: Ohioans Want "Intelligent Design" Taught in Schools
Jun 10 2002 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
According to a statewide poll, a majority of Ohio's residents (59 percent) favor teaching evolution in tandem with "intelligent design" in public-school science classes. The poll comes in the midst of a yearlong process to revamp the state's science curriculum guidelines. Most scientists deride intelligent design as a pseudo-scientific notion that does not deserve a place in the classroom -- particularly in contrast to the theory of evolution, which is bolstered by a wealth of data. Nevertheless, evolution supporters admit that the poll's findings are alarming. "This tells me that science education has a long way to go," said Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, an organization that defends the teaching of evolution.
Two House Lawmakers Back Alternative to Evolution in Ohio
May 29 2002 - Washington Post
The evolution debate in Ohio rages on. In the latest move, two U.S. House members from Ohio have urged their state's Board of Education to consider language in a conference report accompanying the "No Child Left Behind" law as justification for adopting a science curriculum that includes the teaching of alternatives to evolution. The non-binding language reads: "Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution), the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist." While the language seems innocuous (and that’s how many lawmakers saw it), a number of science groups (including the NSTA) had warned members of Congress that the statement might be exploited to challenge the teaching of evolution across the country. The good news is that federal education officials have said they have no intention of interpreting the language as requiring local school systems to teach alternatives to evolution.
Science Standards Have Yet to Seep Into Class, Panel Says
May 22 2002 - Education Week
While the national science education standards have been instrumental in changing some district- and school-level policies, those changes haven't yet filtered down to the classroom, suggests a preliminary review commissioned by the National Research Council. "We saw little change since the introduction of the standards in how [science] is being taught," one researcher noted, including "little to no change in the use of hands-on or inquiry-based learning." Still, experts speculate that as more states add science tests to their assessment systems, the standards should gain more influence in the classroom, particularly if the tests are linked directly to the content specified in the standards.
Education Forum Bemoans Gap Between Standards and Classroom
Apr 5 2002 - Education Week
Education experts who gathered at a two-day conference last month in New York had an important message for the nation: Unless states move quickly to fill the yawning gap between academic standards and their use in classrooms, current efforts to boost student achievement could suffer. "If you put demanding standards in place and then you provide absolutely no guidance in the way of curriculum,...then you really are on a downward slide," said Sandra Feldman, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. Professional development efforts also need to be more closely aligned with state standards, many participants advised. Read more...
Ohio Curriculum Team Issues Revised Science Standards
Apr 3 2002 - Akron Beacon Journal
Score one for advocates of evolution. Earlier this week, the team responsible for writing Ohio’s science standards issued a revised draft that, like the first, recognizes only evolution as the scientific explanation for how life developed on Earth. In doing so, the team ignored a mounting campaign to encourage the teaching of so-called "intelligent design," a theory that the mainstream scientific community overwhelmingly rejects. But the fight isn't over; the Ohio Board of Education could still overrule the writing team when it votes on final standards later this year. (For previous news stories relating to the Ohio evolution debate, click on "National/State Standards" in the right-hand column of this screen.)
Ohio Curriculum Team Stands By Evolution
Mar 18 2002 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
The team writing Ohio's new science standards will soon issue a new draft that calls for students to be taught only evolution in classroom discussions of how life developed on Earth. In addition, the writing team has added a definition of science that seems to rule out consideration of "intelligent design." That definition reads: "Scientific knowledge is limited to natural explanations for natural phenomena." The revised standards, to be made public April 1, could set up a possible clash with the State Board of Education, but the writing team appears undeterred. "We know the state board could still overturn our decision, but we're proceeding with what we believe is correct," one team member said. Find out more…
Panel Discussion on Evolution Draws Hundreds
Mar 12 2002 - Cleveland Plain-Dealer
The debate over evolution continues in Ohio. In a panel discussion yesterday, two supporters and two critics of evolution sparred over whether so-called "intelligent design" should be included (along with evolution) in the state's science standards. Lawrence Krauss, one of the pro-evolution panelists, said that framing the question of what to teach in a two-on-two debate looks fair but gives intelligent design a credibility it doesn't deserve. All major scientific groups, he added, support teaching only evolution, and to do otherwise would be a waste of valuable education time.
National Survey Shows Continued Support for Standards Movement
Mar 8 2002 - Education Week
The research organization Public Agenda has released its chief findings from Reality Check 2002, the group's fifth annual survey on the academic-standards movement. According to the report, the standards movement continues to attract widespread support among teachers and parents, and public school students nationwide appear to be adjusting comfortably to the new status quo. In addition, despite some headlines trumpeting a "backlash to testing," the report finds strong agreement on the useful role standardized tests can play, with large numbers of adults giving testing a general thumbs-up. Click above to read the full report, which was published in the Mar. 6 issue of Education Week.
Ohio Evolution Debate Attracting National Attention
Mar 8 2002 - Columbus Dispatch (requires free registration)
Ohio is drawing national attention as the latest battleground for the "intelligent design" movement. At the center of the dispute is whether intelligent design should be included in Ohio’s new grade-by-grade science standards. The 19-member state school board, which will ultimately decide the issue, appears split on the question. The board will hold a panel discussion on the topic next Monday, an event that is expected to draw hundreds of observers. Meanwhile, the mainstream scientific community remains overwhelmingly opposed to the concept of intelligent design. "It's amazing to me that we are even having this debate," one physics professor said. "We should be working to improve science curriculum and not fighting off some medieval attack on science."
A "Proficient" Score Depends on Geography
Feb 22 2002 - Education Week
The new ESEA, signed by President Bush last month, requires states to set at least three performance levels -- basic, proficient, and advanced -- and to adhere to a strict timetable for bringing all students up to the proficient level by 2014. But what exactly does proficient mean? Given the wide variability that exists among states' standards and assessments, the answer seems to depend on where you live.
To Encourage Field Trips, VA Museums Tailor Programs to State Tests
Feb 22 2002 - Washington Post
In this era of high-stakes testing, educators at Virginia museums say the only way to get school groups through the doors is to tell teachers exactly how their exhibits can help students study for the state's Standards of Learning (SOL) exams. Teachers seem to be appreciating the efforts. "For right now, as long as we're having to take the SOLs, it's important that [the museums] cover the SOLs -- very important," one elementary school teacher said. Read more...
Ohio Governor Sidesteps Evolution Argument
Feb 11 2002 - Columbus Dispatch
As Ohio finds itself at the center of a national debate over whether so-called "intelligent design" should be taught alongside evolution in the classroom, Gov. Bob Taft is withholding comment on the controversy, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Click above for the full article, or click here to read a New York Times story (requires free registration) on the evolution debate in Ohio. "The old seductive argument" of being fair to both sides "doesn't play well in science if the other side is not a science," one critic of intelligent design says in the story. Read more...
Ohio Scientists To Fight Anti-Evolution Push
Feb 8 2002 - Cleveland Plain-Dealer
Ohio scientists have established a new group, Ohio Citizens for Science, to counter a well-organized push to add "intelligent design" to the state's public school science curriculum. The group's formation comes amid an escalating battle in the state over how evolution should be taught in schools (see previous story). "Intelligent design is not a theory in the scientific sense," one group member said. "To try to confuse science with non-science leads to scientific illiteracy."
Study: Solid Curriculum Improves Math and Science Achievement
Feb 8 2002 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Preliminary findings from a new study of international math and science test results suggest that school districts can best improve student achievement by adding coherence (logical structure) and rigor (tough courses) to their curricula. In fact, a strong curriculum can cut in half the differences in academic performance caused by social class, the lead researcher estimates. Find out more...
Experts to Weigh in on Ohio Science Standards
Feb 5 2002 - Columbus Dispatch
Ohio's debate over the teaching of evolution continues to rage on. At a special meeting yesterday, the Ohio Board of Education's standards committee decided to invite two supporters of evolution and two supporters of so-called "intelligent design" to participate in a panel discussion at the board's March meeting. The move came after some board members complained that intelligent design is not included in proposed curriculum guidelines for science. Click above for the full article, or click here to read NSTA's official position statement on the teaching of evolution in schools.
Ohio Lawmakers Enter Debate on Science Curriculum
Jan 24 2002 - Columbus Dispatch
Debate is intensifying over the teaching of evolution in Ohio, with some state lawmakers backing legislation that would require schools to teach students about "all theories on the origins of life." These developments follow last week's heated arguments among State Board of Education members, some of whom pushed for a rewrite of Ohio's proposed science standards because they do not include "alternative" theories to evolution. The proposed state standards were the work of a 46-member writing team, composed primarily of science teachers from across the state, and are supported by a panel of science experts.
Evolution Targeted in Ohio Curriculum Review
Jan 15 2002 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
For a while, it seemed as if the effort to update Ohio's science curriculum was proceeding relatively smoothly, with the state finally ready to use the word "evolution" in its standards. But it now looks like a controversy over the teaching of Darwin's theory may be erupting, with several members of the State Board of Education pushing for a rewrite that would present evolution as "an assumption, not fact," and would include an alternative explanation for how humans and other living things came to exist. "Obviously, the process has broken down," said Lynn Elfner, director of the Ohio Academy of Science. "All bets are off at this point. It's a political ballgame now."
No Child Left Behind: What Does the New Law Mean?
Jan 9 2002 - NSTA
As reported yesterday, President Bush just signed a sweeping new education reform plan into law. But what does the law mean for schools and educators? Click above for a link to two U.S. Department of Education documents outlining the law's major provisions (including the math and science partnerships), as well as for a link to an Education Week article that examines the challenges presented by the legislation's extensive new testing requirements.
Education Week Newspaper Releases Sixth Annual Report on States' Efforts to Improve Education; States Average a "C" Across Range of Categories
Jan 8 2002 - Education Week
Education Week (EW) released yesterday "Quality Counts 2002," the newspaper's sixth annual report on education progress in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to presenting the latest data on student achievement (including in science), the report grades the states in three areas: standards and accountability, efforts to improve teacher quality, and resources (adequacy and equity). This year, states averaged a C across those categories. Quality Counts 2002 also includes a special focus on states' efforts to provide high-quality pre-K and kindergarten experiences for young children. Past QC editions, which are still available at EW's website, have focused on such issues as standards, testing, and accountability; teacher quality; and urban education. Click the link above for this year's report, or click here for past reports.
Teaching, Standards, Tests Found Not Aligned
Nov 2 2001 - Education Week
What math and science teachers teach, what state standards expect, and what states' assessments test are rarely the same, researchers involved with the Survey of the Enacted Curriculum Project reported last week. "For the states we looked at, it doesn't look like their tests are driving instruction all that much," said Andrew C. Porter, who directed the research.
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